Evolutionary constraint in theoretical morphospace

Our results strongly support the hypothesis that the essential elements of organic structure are highly constrained by geometric rules, growth processes, and the properties of materials. This suggests that, given enough time and an extremely large number of evolutionary experiments, the discovery by organisms of ‘good’ designs – those that are viable and that can be constructed with available materials – was inevitable and in principle predictable.Thomas and Reif (1993, p. 342)